Has the Battle of Brunanburh battlefield been discovered?
The famous medieval battlefield has been lost for centuries. Has new archaeological research discovered the site?
Did Henbane make Berserkers go Berserk?
A new study on the legendary Viking warriors known as berserkers suggests that they were able to achieve their battle trances and ferocity through the use of henbane.
Whetstones lead to new theory on why the Viking Age began
New article argues the Vikings were pushed out of Scandinavia and had to attack raid lands such as the British Isles, since they were prevented from attacking targets closer to home.
All in one Boat: The Vikings as European and Global Heritage
This paper presents a survey of contexts and places where Vikings are currently highlighted as a European cultural heritage, and discusses how this heritage is presented, and why so.
The Earliest Wave of Viking Activity? The Norwegian Evidence Revisited
It is argued that the first recorded Viking attacks were only possible after a phase in which Norse seafarers had acquired the necessarily level of a priori environmental knowledge needed to move in new seascapes and coastal environments.
How well do you know these Viking-age artefacts?
We have many remains from the Viking-age that offer insights into the Norse world. Here are ten artefacts – do you know what they are?
Viking Age Hair
In Viking-Age Scandinavia, hair also seems to have played an important role in social dynamics.
The Naval Power of Norse Dublin
In the ninth to twelfth centuries the Dublin fleet was one of the most formidable war machines in the Irish Sea area.
Ireland’s population declined before the Vikings arrived, researchers find
New research has found that the population of Ireland was in decline for almost 200 years before the Vikings settled.
Norse Hall discovered in Orkney
A large Norse hall has been discovered during excavations at Skaill Farmstead, on the island of Rousay, Orkney.
Population genomics of the Viking world
We find evidence for a majority of Danish Viking presence in England, Swedish Viking presence in the Baltic, and Norwegian Viking presence in Ireland, Iceland, and Greenland.
Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Viking?
The North is a dour land where brave Jarls fight for their place under the cold and ruthless sun. Do you have what it takes to join them as the worthiest warlords in the world?
New Medieval Books: The Lords of the Winds, by C.J. Adrien
The story of a boy who was a slave, who became a warlord, and who helped topple an empire. Read an excerpt from C.J. Adrien’s latest novel.
Viking Currency
Buying, selling and trading in the Viking Age, and how hoards are different over the centuries.
New archaeological information uncovered at Viking site in Newfoundland
More human activity has been found at L’Anse aux Meadows, the only confirmed site in North America where the Vikings had a settlement.
Two Viking Age ship burials discovered in Sweden
A unique find of two boat burials from the Viking Age have been discovered in Sweden. One of the two graves was intact with remains of a man, a horse and a dog.
Dead Dogs are so 9th Century
My research looks at specific acts of ritualised mortuary violence enacted on objects, animals, and people by Vikings in the British Isles, and aims to develop a new interpretative framework with which to consider them.
In search of Lagertha, the Warrior Queen
As one of the most aspiring female characters on the show, Lagertha in the TV series Vikings is introduced as the wife of Ragnarr Loðbrók and a renowned shieldmaiden – women who fight fearlessly in the battlefront. But where does Lagertha’s story originate?
Which books about the Vikings should I read?
There are many books about the Vikings and the Norse world for someone to choose from. Here is a list of books we think are a good reads about the Vikings – ones that are both fairly new and relatively inexpensive.
The Land of Darkness and the Global Middle Ages
Why do we find coins from Central Asia and silver from Iran in Lincolnshire? What prompted medieval people to pack up and look for opportunity and adventure elsewhere?
Charisma, Violence and Weapons: The Broken Swords of the Vikings
The blades were beaten, bent or twisted, sometimes folded together in a way that needs preparation, expertise and equipment. The fact that these swords were subjected to special treatment, handled in a different manner than the rest of the grave goods, underscores the distinctive role of swords in Norse society
The slave markets of the Viking world: comparative perspectives on an ‘invisible archaeology’
This study explores the comparative archaeologies and histories of slave markets in order to examine the potential form and function of these sites, and how they might have operated as part of the wider, interconnected Viking world.
Viking warrior women with Leszek Gardeła
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle interviews archaeologist Leszek Gardeła to learn more about women, warriors, and when a weapon is more than just a weapon.
Viking ship discovered in Norway
The remains of a Viking ship has been discovered in southern Norway, thanks to ground penetrating radar.
Let Us Go Forth Amongst the Fighters: Valkyries, Shield Maidens, and Alt-Right Women
To begin a three-part examination of the concept of the valkyrie and other powerful female figures in Norse literature, this month we’re delving into medieval Scandinavia and the use of Norse symbols and figures by the alt-right.